The very attempt to equate Russia and Islamic State is outrageous, Vladimir Chizhov said

Vladimir Chizhov

BRUSSELS, November 24. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has very precisely characterized the situation with the European Parliament’s resolution on combating other countries’ propaganda, including Russia, by describing it as the degradation of democracy, Russian Envoy to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov told Russian journalists.

"This is really so, not only in essence but also in the form of its adoption. According to our information, no more than 15 MEPs out of 756 were present at the discussion devoted to the report. It happened the day before the voting, on November 22. Even during voting itself, the majority voted against or abstained," Chizhov said.

"The very attempt to equate Russia and IS (Islamic State terrorist organization banned in Russia) is outrageous," he added. "There is just no place here to talk about logic, let alone democracy. We don’t even mention morals and other values that the European Union flaunts so much," he noted.

"There are different points of view in EP (European Parliament). Unfortunately, though, the majority has not yet been able to get rid of anti-Russian hysteria. The campaign that continues in the Western media contributed to that a lot, and politicians in Europe and beyond use its products," Chizhov said. "This is the degradation of democracy, the degradation of professional democracy, and also, I would add, the degradation of parliamentarism in the way that we know it," he concluded.